Chandler Ross (#TeamBossRoss)

This GoFundMe account is in support of Chandler Ross, his parents Lee and Misty Ross, and his sister Carrington Ross. Chandler is beginning his journey of cancer treatment and recovery. Chandler is a twenty-one year old young man that lives in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. He is at least a fourth generation farmer, who works with his father Lee, on the family farm, which was worked by his grandfather Roy Ross, and his great-grandfather Prentiss Ross. Chandler loves to hunt, play golf, and had a passion for bass fishing. His father bought a big truck to us to haul grain for the farm. Chandler loved it and made that big truck his second home. Chandler loves to make new friends and never meets a stranger. Everyone in the area knows, respects, and loves the Ross family. The Ross Family is an honest and hard working family, and always has been for generations going back. I have been privileged to have known the Ross family since I was five or six years old, for close to forty years. Chandler’s story... Chandler has been having pain in his upper right arm for the past many months. Back in May, Chandler was throwing a football with a friend, and had shoulder and arm pain afterward. Then, a couple of weeks later, he had the pain again after throwing a toy while playing fetch with his dog. In August, while cutting corn on the farm, he slipped on the combine, caught himself with that arm, and it again hurt. A short time later, his shoulder appeared swollen at dinner one night. It was swollen enough that his mother noticed, and asked him about it. He said it was painful and he thought he had injured the arm. He went to a sports medicine clinic, thinking it was some type of inflammation, and received a cortisone shot and an x-ray. The sports medicine doctor said something didn’t look right in the x-ray, and scheduled an MRI for a later date. One night a short while later, Chandler was asleep on the couch. He woke up, was pushing himself off of the couch, and his arm broke, which caused him to pass out. He awoke again, with extreme pain in his arm. He drove himself to the Emergency Room. The ER did an x-ray and they saw something was in his his arm. There was a tumor in his arm that had started inside the humerus bone and had grown out of the bone. That caused deterioration and weakening of the bone, which caused it to break under so little pressure. At University Medical Center in Jackson, MS, one doctor discussed treatment options, and a high probability of amputating Chandler’s arm. In addition to his arm, two spots in his lungs were revealed during scans, which have not yet been diagnosed. At this time, the cancer in his arm is believed to be Osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer in children, teens, and young adults. They reached out to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and were told to arrive this past Thursday afternoon, for check-in, so St. Jude can begin to start conducting their own scans and tests. God has something special working here, and as an example of how much Chandler and the Ross family is loved in the Mississippi Delta, there was a prayer service for Chandler at his church on Thursday, before he and his family left for St. Jude in Memphis. There is a bond between big truck drivers and, as an example of that bond, the big truck drivers planned something special for the fellow truck driver Chandler. The family left the church, and after they drove out of town, they passed by an amazing salute and showing of love and support from their neighbors and fellow truck drivers in the area. Sixty-Four 18-wheelers, almost all with attached trailers, lined the side of the road, with signs of well wishes on the trucks, people waiving, cheering,holding signs, and the truck drivers blowing their loud horns. They passed more trucks along the way, and another group of trucks as they reached Boyle, MS. Chandler and his family are, at the time of this writing, in their third day at St. Jude. He is going through all their tests and scans, as they work to properly diagnose his condition and prepare his treatment plan. So far, there have been discussions of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, to include removing a large section of Chandler’s humerus, where the cancer is, and replacing it with titanium. Of course, that can change as St. Jude researches his condition and treatment options. Like all cancer treatment, this is going to be an extremely difficult strain on the family and their financial resources. The Ross family has always been a proud and hard working family, but at this time, they need our help, and prayers, for the journey ahead. I ask and encourage everyone reading this to pitch in and give what they can. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you very much for your help and support.